Editors' Review

While Google Chrome has become the web browser of choice for most platforms, version 57 of Mozilla's Firefox web browser may shift the balance with its head-to-toe overhaul. The interface, the performance, and the add-on system have been completely redesigned. Here are the results.

Pros

A clean, modern look: With the new "Photon" visual design, Firefox's new Light and Dark themes do away with curving tabs and color gradients, replacing them with squared-off, functional lines and solid colors. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but the response from the Firefox community has been very positive, and we concur. You no longer need Classic Theme Restorer to bring back the pre-curve days or menu systems. Pressing the Alt key brings up the classic menu, and the hamburger menu in the upper right has a layout very similar to the old Firefox button.

Better performance: Modern CPUs have multiple cores, allowing the chip to perform "multi-threading," a form of juggling many tasks at the same time. But this complex behavior usually requires complex programming code. So Mozilla developed a programming language called Rust to make it easier to develop multithreaded code for Firefox, and we're seeing good results in version 57. Loading and scrolling through media-heavy pages definitely feels much smoother than before (and an upcoming update called WebRender should make it even better).

Add-ons are less likely to break: In the past, Firefox extensions/add-ons had a lot of freedom to change browser behavior, but that meant that major browser updates would break particularly complex add-ons. Those that were not getting updated anymore were effectively killed off when these breakages occurred, because Mozilla could not go into the programming code of the add-on itself to make the needed fixes. Mozilla's new WebExtensions system standardizes how add-ons interact with Firefox, making them more resistant to breakage.

However, with standardization comes a more limited scope in what the add-on can do; therefore, some "legacy" extensions may never make the transition, or they may end up with reduced functionality. In our testing, popular add-ons, such as Reddit Enhancement Suite, Zoom Page WE, Enhanced Steam, and Dark Mode were up and running. NoScript is scheduled to be updated within days of Firefox 57's release.

Syncing across devices: It's not new to version 57, but it's worth repeating: Firefox has its own free sync service, just like Chrome. You can save your open tabs, bookmarks, log-ins, browsing history, add-ons, preferences, and addresses across devices, and even send tabs from one device to another. It works in Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, and even Linux -- basically anywhere you can find Firefox 57. The log-in also opens up in a browser tab, so you can use your favorite password manager with it to streamline the process.

When you sign in for the first time on a new device, you'll also get an automated email notifying you, which helps you monitor for the possibility of unauthorized access. If you initiate a password reset on your sync account, this will wipe your sync data on all your other devices.

Cons

Fancier video streams may get chunky on older computers: 4K video and high framerates are becoming increasingly popular on YouTube, especially for video game footage, and Netflix is adding more 4K movies and TV shows all the time. But in Windows 7 and 10, Firefox struggled to create smooth playback when we pushed past 1080p or 30 frames per second. Google Chrome handled 1080p at 60 frames per second just fine. Neither browser on this machine maintained smooth video performance when we pushed it up to 1440p/60 or 4K/30, nevermind 4K/60, but Chrome's performance remained more tolerable as we scaled up.

Then we tested on a different machine with a recent video card containing dedicated circuitry to handle the decoding of newer fancy codecs like VP9 or H.265 -- a handling known as hardware acceleration. This takes the load off the CPU's main circuitry and also reduces the impact on battery life. (Recent CPUs from Intel and AMD can also do video hardware acceleration.) On this machine, all YouTube video resolutions and framerates were buttery smooth in both Chrome and Firefox -- until we deliberately disabled the browsers' otherwise automatic detection of hardware acceleration. Then we were back to performance similar to that of the other, older testing machines.

In the MacOS version of Firefox 57 (on a Macbook Air with a nearly identical CPU to the one in the Windows laptop), Firefox, Chrome, and Safari performed smoothly at 1080p/60 and 1440p/30, though only Chrome offered 4K YouTube content. Based on these experiences, it looks like there's potential for better streaming in the Windows version of Firefox that's not being realized.

Some popular extensions may not work (yet): With version 57, Firefox has moved its add-ons to a standardized platform called WebExtensions. This new framework doesn't allow certain add-on behaviors, partly for security reasons, but also to make porting to and from Chrome easier. The side effect is that some of your favorites may take time to migrate to 57 or never arrive at all. The good news is that, in the case of something like Classic Theme Restorer, they may no longer be needed; Firefox's new UI theming makes CTR non-essential.

Bottom Line

Chrome will probably be better for watching fancy videos on YouTube, especially if you have an older computer. But for everything else, Firefox is now a legit default browser. It performs smoothly, it looks good out-of-the-box, it can sync, it has loads of extensions, and you can use it independently of the Google, Apple, and Microsoft ecosystems.

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Publisher's Description

From Mozilla:
Mozilla Firefox is a fast, full-featured Web browser. Firefox includes pop-up blocking, tab-browsing, integrated Google search, simplified privacy controls, a streamlined browser window that shows you more of the page than any other browser and a number of additional features that work with you to help you get the most out of your time online.

Fast. No crashes. Efficient memory management. Releases memory quickly when closing tabs or when changing to work on another program like Excel. Automatically verifies important addresses in address bar with a green shield, verified by Symantec or DigiCert. Searches are verified by Google.

Instead of being the fastest Firefox as stated by their CEO, from my own bad experience on 64 based Win 7-10 systems, all this 32 bit application does is freeze up, no matter how many times I exit and restart. I'm not really sure if the 32 v 64 thing does make a difference, all I do know is no matter what device, or where I was, FF would not run.

At first, I thought it was just something on my end, until my father had the same unresponsive issues with the browser after he updated on his 7 sys. The worst is when I drove all the way to the public access, they had to remove FF from the community terminals because everyone else had the same problem with FF freezing up and being unresponsive. This is considering they have high speed internet there with flash and java being up to date. Whereas, the rival internet browsers on their terminals were still working like normal. So I don't know why FF would freeze up like it does now. All I know is the old FF worked in the past, but whatever so and so did in this 32 based Nov 2017 updated version, it just does not work no more. Hopefully by 2018 they fix it. I have good faith, and don't see why they won't.

Slow as molasses on a stick in the month of December......c'mon folks, speed it up already, this isn't 1998!

Summary

Disappointed, going back to Internet Explorer, way faster than this sloth.....I have lost hope in Firefox......I am going to need to see a counselor to get over being depressed on how much I feel let down by Mozilla.

1. There is a noticeable bump up in the browser's speed.
2. You can still have a Menu Bar where you can place add-on icons should you desire.
3. The new browser version is stable and secure.
4. It has an attractive GUI if you like the minimalist look.

Cons

1. XUL and XPCOM extensions no longer work in v.57. These legacy add-ons will no longer load so Firefox power users who are into heavy customization will likely find that many of their favorite add-ons will no longer work. It is totally crippling! Mozilla's next generation add-ons all called Web Extensions, and they come with a new and very restrictive API. I can't begin to tell you what a step backwards this is for me. Using this new version of Firefox is like going back in time ... to an age of stone knives and bearskins.

Summary

Why did Mozilla make the move to v.57 when they knew it would deprecate 4/5 of the 25,000 add-ons in their extension repository? Years ago they told extension developers they were going to make the switch to Web Extensions but shortsightedly didn't supply them with the necessary APIs or enough help to make a smooth and fast transition. The management at Mozilla definitely should have postponed the release until the extension developers had all the APIs they needed and there was sufficient time for add-on development and testing. Even knowing what would happen they released Firefox v.57 anyway. Sad!

If you are a Firefox power user what do you do? I decided to go to the Firefox knockoff Pale Moon browser. While it's not as fast, secure or as new looking as Firefox it does allow me to use many of the XUL and XPCOM extensions I hold in such high esteem. Some of the most useful extensions I would have lost the use of in FF v.57 but have in Pale Moon: Tab Mix Plus, Speed Dial, All-in-One Gestures , All-in-One Side Bar (PM equivalent), Add Bookmark Here2. Do I have every extension I had in Firefox v.55 a few months back? No, Pale Moon extensions are few in number and you can't always find an old FF add-on that is compatible. What's missing are few in number and workarounds can sometimes be found in the Firefox extension repository.

Firefox v.57 is actually a pretty nice browser if you like the minimalist look, but power users should definitely stay far away from it!

Firefox just auto-updated itself to v57.0 on my high end Windows 10 PC (which also just updated itself). Firefox now doesn't work well enough to use. It works for 1 or 2 seconds then freezes for 4 to 8 seconds then repeats itself. Task Manager shows it's using a large amount of the CPU. Firefox has been my primary browser for years but unless this is fixed quickly I'll be switching to Chrome

As I am an active ebay user this software makes it easy to keep track of my bids and auctions that I am watching.
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lost all my dates on fox reminder , there was a back up but thats gone , Inconsiderate A holes , dam well should work out what would happen if an app stops working .
ive use it for years , this is the end

I have uninstalled it from my computer. I like to know if there are earlier version (before version 57) to download so I can reinstall an earlier (working) version. I've have used Firefox for what seems like forever and loved it. This newest version (57) is the absolute pits. I'm very, very, disappointed. I want my old Firefox back.

Update to my previous message ...... I have found version Firefox 45.0.1 on the web .... installed it, and my computer is back to normal again. I've set it to check for updates ... but "ask me" if I want to accept them. Don't want version 57 back again!!!!!

NONE, THIS VERSION IS A VERY BAD VERSION, YOU ARE FORCE TO RATE THIS PROGRAM IF YOU WANT TO POST A REVIEW

Cons

MY COMPUTER WAS RUNNING SMOOTHLY, NO PROBLEMS. THEN I GOT AN EMAIL FROM Mozilla RECOMMENDING I DOWNLOAD VERSION 57. I DID AND MY COMPUTER IS RUNNING VERY SLOW AND FREEZES ALL THE TIME. IT ALL STARTED WHEN I INSTALLED VERSION 57.

Summary

THIS VERSION OF FOXFIRE VERSION 57 IS A VERY BAD VERSION. IF YOU VALUE YOUR COMPUTER, THEN DO NOT DOWNLOAD THIS VERSION.

I totally agree with Jameswm45. I experienced the exact same problems. I've now uninstalled Firefox V57 from my computer. My question now is .... where do I find an older version of Firefox that fairly recent - ie: before version 57?

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Full Specifications

Faster page load times by loading either from the networked cache or the cache on the user’s hard drive (Race Cache With Network)

Improved graphics rendering using Off-Main-Thread Painting (OMTP) for Mac users (OMTP for Windows and Linux was released in Firefox 58)

Drag-and-drop to rearrange Top Sites on the Firefox Home page, and customize new windows and tabs in other ways

Added features for Firefox Screenshots.

Enhanced WebExtensions API including better support for decentralized protocols and the ability to dynamically register content scripts

Improved Real-Time Communications (RTC) capabilities.

Added support for W3C specs for pointer events and improved platform integration with added device support for mouse, pen, and touch screen pointer input

Added the Ecosia search engine as an option for German Firefox

Added the Qwant search engine as an option for French Firefox

Added settings in about:preferences to stop websites from asking to send notifications or access your device’s camera, microphone, and location, while still allowing trusted websites to use these features